Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-09-10

is peOpie would move heaven and eartl for his release.
 Well, days and weeks went by. apC though the country was secured for tn, missing msn, no trace of him was dis covered, or was likely to be so long as , penny could be gained by his retention
 HIS family tpent thousands of dolIsrs m the vain search. aud m repestedl, depositing large sums of money for hi ransom, as indicated by mysterious plac ards. until they were completely impoy- erished, and then, moved by the tears of his distracted young wife and tho prayers of his aged mother, the govern mept offered R considerable amount for his restoration. But still no Cervantes appeared.
 Al last, by the merest accident he vaf discovered, m the heart of the populnut city, and within a stones throw of hit own dwelling-under the floor of de. serted house. and fiat upon bis bach iu a place barely vide enough Co hold him gagged, bound hand and foot, and ssv ersl well-shsrpened daggers thrust with In hairs-breadth of his body, so that if he stirred they would pierce him. Hay inR remained long in this terrible cordi- tlon he was barely alive when found, and II was only after weeks of careful nurs- lng-duriDg which time he lay speech less and bis life hung by a thread, that he was able to tell of his adventures; snd meantime, of course, the miscreanis had ample opportunity to escape.
 It eeems that. late one evening, he was standing in his own door. when sudd en- ly serape was thrown over his head by some unknovn persons, and drawn so tightly as 10 oprevent any outcry; then he was hustled into a carriage and driven rspidly very long distance. as he sup. posed. Doubtless the rapid drive return Ing to nearly the same point from they started, was intended for "blInd," !" and never mistrusted himself so nesr home. The faces of his captors he never saw, for they were closely masked, snd sislted him only at night by the Gim IRht of lanterns.
 Having gagged snd bound him, they first talked of tskIng down Q portion of the wall and brickine him mp, leaving q loose place where a brick or two could be removed when 1t was necessary tn feed him; but. fortunately for him, they decided upon the floor as less trouble some tU themselves. Tearing up a plank and laying him under it, be was found to be too corDuIent, despite all heir crowuiug, to allow the board to fis ID place again; so 8 little earth wss scratched away to accommodate fim with living sepulchre. A few small holes. bored above his face, admitted sufficient air to keep him in existence. and there he remained for weeks, belp- l.. A. l...l . tight and sound of home, while his friends were rsnsacking the world for him. Every night his captors came, re- moved the plank snd hauled ki1i up, and with the poiD. of a dagger at bis throat removed the gag and gave Lim food, and then walked him up and do xn the room svhile for exercise. By 6od by he grew so week as to be incapaol of outcry or resistance. and then his keepers forced stimulents down bis throat and dragged him about for need d exercise, desiring to keep the breath of life in him ss long as money might be forthcoming. Finally. believing bin 4bout dead, and that all resources for profit were exhausted. they added men tai torture 50 the misery of his last hours by assuring him that his friends had re- fused to pay anything for his ransom, and crovding him under the plank agsin, they left him to die Rs leisure. 1t happened thst very night that & heavy storm came up, and a beggsr entered the deserted dwelling for shelter, by ,hsnce seating himself upon the board under which Cervsntes lay. Hearing a faint moaning, apparently proceeding from the lower regions, the fellow vEs trishtened nearly 70 death, believing that 1t came from some unquiet ghost. or soul tormented m purgstory. Strange ly enough, in this lazy country. where superstitious fsDcies are of common oc- currence, search was instituted, snd what remained of poor Cefvantes was rescued-not an hour too soon.
 A few months later 8 rich old m an disappeared in much the same manner. Search was instituted and diligently kept up for long time, but not the slightest trace of him vas found. ) he usual pIscsrds demanding money for ais ransom, were posted again and sgsin. sometimes accompanied by the most Diteous appeals purportinP to come from the victim himself, but though the family were anxious to sIve any amount for his ransom, they were not permitted 70 do go. the government having deter nIned to put stop to the kidnapping business, which could only he done by destroying the incentive. Long after wards, through the confession of a dy- ing ranchero to his priest, the fate of tue old man wss disclosed. For several months bis abiuctors had held hin, ragged and bound, hidden ID deep, dry, well. Every night they hauled him ID, fed him enough to sustain life, and tortured him m every disbolical manner they could conceive without making an end to him. in order to make him devise some means by which they could wiring money from his friends.
 As time wore on and no money cane. their fiendish rage knew no bounds, and they delighted in torrneDtInG him to the utmost limit of human endurance. They burned his flesh with heated irons. tore the nails from his fingers and toes, dug out his eyes, pulled his tongue with pincers, and finally tortured him to death.
 The dying rancheroes' story vas sub- bp searching the spot indi- vacant field near the Vigs canal, a few miles from the city of Mexioo; and ID the bottom of the long disused and forgotten we'll was fonnd the poor, old skeleton. FANNY B. WARD.